Meanwhile At The Western Air Temple
by The Mountain
Summary: While Sokka and Zuko are at the Boiling Rock, Katara confronts Aang about the kiss at the invasion. This leads to some complications...
1. Chapter 1

**As indicated by the title, which is blatantly stolen from that old Superfriends show, this takes place at the Western Air Temple, while Zuko and Sokka are having their adventure at the Boiling Rock. It always bothered me that the rest of the cast was kind of forgotten about, but that's why there are fan writers to fill in the blanks! I tried to fit this one into the established canon; there was a lot of time between the kiss on the Day of Black Sun and the discussion at the Ember Island Players. I felt it was a bit unrealistic for there to be no conversation about the subject between these two times.**

**A side note; I know Katara is a bit inconsistent in this one. My best excuse is that I pictured her with a schoolgirl crush, an idealistic infatuation that changes when she's confronted with the fact that Aang's feelings are more than a passing fancy. **

**All credit to Mike DiMartino and Brian Konietzko, who created these wonderful characters and and graciously allow writers like me to bend them to their will. **

* * *

"Urgh, is there any place around here that doesn't have badgerfrogs?" Aang groaned as he finished his sixteenth set of fire fists, only to begin his seventeenth set of hot squats thanks to another croak. "When Zuko gets back, I'm going to freeze him to the ceiling!"

Katara quietly watched Aang continue his Firebending drills. It had been a while since she'd had a chance to watch him train; Aang was busy learning Firebending from Zuko in preparation for his battle with the Fire Lord, and she refused to be around Zuko more than she had to be. But since Zuko and Sokka were apparently off bonding over the manly activity of meat-hunting, she could watch Aang without any distractions.

As he stood in his horse stance shooting flames from his punches, sweat dripped down his body, causing him to gleam brightly in the radiant sunlight. She followed his blue arrow tattoo from his head and across his back, pausing when she reached at the scar. It was a reminder of a fatal injury; only Katara and the Spirit Oasis water had saved him. She remembered holding Aang close to her after this. Then she remembered their two secret kisses, one inside a cave and another on a submarine. Both had been in situations where death seemed inescapable. Katara wondered if they would ever share a kiss without being in a life-threatening situation.

_Wait a minute!_ Katara thought to herself, _Sokka's not here! Toph is Earthbending somewhere with Haru, and Teo and The Duke are off exploring the temple. And Zuko's not here to steal him from me! It's just us..._

Smiling to herself, Katara walked as seductively as she could to Aang. Another badgerfrog croaked, and the Air Nomad growled in frustration before dutifully resuming his homework. Now that she was closer, she paused to look over his muscles, more sharply toned than ever. He was lean and strong; apparently there was something good about Firebending training after all. Katara placed one arm against a rock and waited for Aang to finish his set before making her move. Luckily, no badgerfrog interfered with her plans this time.

"Wow, is it hot in here, or just you?" she teased.

"Ha ha, very funny," Aang mocked. "You give 'jerk-bending' a run for its money."

Katara was now leaning her back against the rock, her arms folded and her eyes shut. "Who says I was talking about your Firebending?"

Aang gazed at her quizzically. "You weren't?"

"Maybe I was, and maybe I wasn't," Katara answered, now twirling her hair around her finger playfully.

"You're a little confusing sometimes, Katara," Aang said, shaking his head.

"So, do you still want to give me a tour of the temple?" Katara asked, hoping Aang could read between the lines.

Another croak. Aang squinted, bared his teeth and started squatting again. "Not now Katara, I'm kind of busy!" he snapped as he performed the drill again.

Annoyed that Aang was putting Zuko's Firebending training ahead of her desire to be alone with him, Katara still wasn't ready to give up. Realizing that she had perfect and easy bait, she started carelessly streaming the water from her pouch before setting her trap. "I bet there aren't any badgerfrogs in the temple!" she sang out.

Aang stopped punching for a second, then finished the fire fists at a breakneck pace, grabbed Katara by the arm, and sped into the temple, dragging Katara and himself far away from the sounds of the badgerfrogs. The water she had been bending splashed on the floor and Katara barely managed to regain stable footing as she was pulled away.

_Hook, line and sinker, _she thought to herself.

* * *

Once Aang was sure they were far enough into the temple to avoid any further interruption, he stopped to catch his breath. The continued high intensity fire fists were wearing him out, and the hot squats were making his thighs and ribs hurt. He leaned against a wall and slowly inhaled and exhaled.

"Getting a bit tired of training, huh?" Katara mused.

Aang laughed. "Well, Firebending isn't as relaxing as Waterbending, that's for sure."

"Your teacher probably isn't as fun either," she added with an expression of satisfaction. Aang took a look at Katara, who was staring at him intently, looking oddly catlike, as if she had plans for him but wasn't going to tell him. He wasn't quite sure what to make of this. On one hand, it made him feel a bit on display, like a meadow vole caught in a cage. On the other hand, he felt as if he wanted her to stare at him like this forever.

"So, uh...you want me to show you around the Temple then?" Aang asked. "There's the giant Pai Sho table, the all-day echo chamber, the Hall of Statues...take your pick!" he offered.

Katara rubbed her chin for a minute, obviously pondering. She then broke out her wonderful smile and answered excitedly, "The Hall of Statues sounds good!"

"Great! Follow me then!" Aang prepared to bolt in the direction of the statues, but before he could move, Katara placed her hand on his shoulder. Aang stopped; Katara's hand was cool against his skin, but strangely sent a warm feeling through his body. Too scared to move, Aang looked at his Waterbending Master, who had a look of pleading in her face.

"Aang, I don't want to follow you," she said. "I want to walk with you."

Not entirely sure what the difference was, Aang shrugged. "Okay, whatever you say." So Aang and Katara walked down the halls of the temple, side by side. Aang tried to catch a few glances at Katara, something he'd been doing for almost a year, literally since he came out of the iceberg. She was so pretty, he couldn't help but look. But now, every time he tried to glance at her, she was staring right back at him, and he quickly averted his eyes. Trying hard to concentrate on where the Hall of Statues was, Aang was barely able to keep his eyes forward as they walked to their destination.

* * *

_Why does he keep turning away from me? _Katara asked herself. _You'd think the fact that I was looking at him too would be a big hint. Why are boys so stupid sometimes? _With this thought, Katara had to admit something to herself. She really didn't know how to interact with boys; most of the guys who would have been flirting with her left with her father as young warriors fighting against the Fire Nation. The only guys she really knew were her brother and Aang, and she was only now realizing she had feelings for the Avatar that weren't motherly. Well, okay, there was Jet, but that had been a stupid little crush. And she hadn't exactly been a talented flirt with him either. Katara was sure Aang wouldn't be impressed with her hat making skills. Well, he might pretend to be impressed. He seemed to like everything she did.

_How can two people who _like_ each other have such a hard time communicating? _Katara wondered.

"Katara, are you okay?"

"Huh?" she grunted, snapping out of her thoughts. "Oh, I'm fine, Aang. Why do you ask?"

Aang seemed to hesitate before saying, "Well, you just seem kind of quiet."

"Oh, I'm sorry," she stammered. "I was just thinking."

"What were you thinking about?" he inquired.

_Kissing you_. Katara had to bite her tongue to keep that thought inside. "Um, I dunno really. Just thinking, I guess." _Oh come on, Katara, just tell him, you know he likes you, stop worrying..._

"We're here!" Aang exclaimed.

Katara looked around at the giant statues. Each one depicted a female Airbender, magnificently carved out of stone. Their robes were ornate, each slightly different from the next, and each having their own hairstyle. The only common trait was that their foreheads were shaved, and the signature bison arrow was displayed. She was suddenly very conscientious about her own hair, and wondered if Aang liked it. Should she shave her forehead? Should she get an arrow tattoo?

"What do you think?" Aang asked.

"They're beautiful," Katara answered truthfully. "I never really looked at any of the other ones. Where are all the male statues though?"

"In the Southern and Northern Temples," Aang responded casually.

"What?" she exclaimed. "There were only women here?"

"Yeah, Katara. Women lived in the Eastern and Western Temples, and men lived in the Southern and Northern Temples. That way we could focus on our spiritual growth," he explained.

"Wow, that is so...different," Katara mused, a little embarrassed. She had never really bothered to ask much about Aang's culture and customs. How did they live, how did they work, what did they do in their spare time...how did they date...

"The Air Nomads were monks and nuns," Aang said. "Gyatso always said that we needed to be free of distractions."

Katara was now unamused and a little insulted. "Wait, so women are just a distraction now?" she shouted, demanding an explanation.

"Well, you're certainly a distraction," Aang said absentmindedly, and then covered his mouth, blushing.

Katara was now completely flustered. "Oh...well, uh, thanks!" she said.

"Uh...you're welcome?" Aang was clearly thinking out every word he said, trying not to insult her. _Oh come on, tell me how pretty you think I am, talk about how much you want to kiss me, please, please, please, _she hoped. Aang continued to scratch his head, looking like he was trying to ignore her. Katara was now starting to worry; was Aang too nervous to follow up on that passionate kiss they shared at the invasion? Maybe she needed to make him a little more comfortable.

"So Air Nomads never interacted with members of the opposite sex?" she asked, trying to return to the previous discussion.

"Of course they did! What, did you think I just popped out of thin air?" Aang asked indignantly. "The Air Nomads had seasonal events where we all gathered at one of the temples for get-togethers. The Elders discussed anything of importance, the kids played with each other, most of us had sparring matches, and the married couples spent time with each other."

"So your people did marry?" Katara asked, showing a little more interest than she intended to.

"Yeah, but husbands and wives only saw each other four weeks out of the whole year. And when they had children, they were always taken to a different Air Temple where neither parent lived. The Elders of the Temple named the children and raised them without telling them who their parents were," Aang explained.

"So, you never knew your parents?" she said sadly.

"Well, I know my father was raised in the Northern Air Temple, but other than that I have no idea. It doesn't matter though," Aang said, shrugging his shoulders. "I never knew them, and it didn't bother me. Gyatso was a great guardian; he was kind of like my parent, I guess."

"I'm glad you knew Gyatso," Katara said, "but all of this separation seems a little cruel. I wouldn't want to see my husband four weeks out of the year, and I certainly wouldn't want to never know my kids." Katara was hoping that Aang knew what she was really saying: _I wouldn't want to see _you_ four weeks out of the year, or never know _our _kids._

Aang sighed. "Yeah, I've been thinking about that. I think when I rebuild the Air Nomads I'm going to change some of the customs. Spending time with you and Sokka and Toph makes me think that family is something important we were missing."

Katara resisted the urge to hug him. _Yes! He's not going to make me follow all those rules! _"Rebuild the Air Nomads, Aang?"

"Well, yeah. I mean, I am the Last Airbender. I'll need to have children at some point if my people are to survive," he stated matter-of-factly. "At the very least, there has to be an Airbender for the Avatar to be reborn into four Avatars from now. Not to mention the next Avatar will need an Airbending teacher."

_Well, I always wanted children anyway, _Katara thought to herself. "So, who are you planning on rebuilding your people with then?" she asked wryly, hoping to steer the conversation towards "them" again. Aang seemed to be shaking, unable to answer, but she would wait all day if she had to.

* * *

_I'm losing it_, Aang thought. His palms were sweating, his heart was beating faster than an ostrichhorse, and he was actually trembling from his nervousness. He had been trying to ignore Katara's obvious signals, but it was clear she wasn't going to give up. She was cornering him, forcing him to come clean about his feelings.

_What is wrong with you? _Aang asked himself. _You have no problem kissing her full on the mouth without her permission but now that she's trying to talk about stuff you have nothing to say? Come ON, Aang!_

"Um...I guess I'll rebuild with whoever the girl I marry is..." Aang finally said, forcing a chuckle after his accurate but vague answer.

_Idiot! _He was practically screaming at himself. _The timing was perfect and you blew it!_

Katara seemed to be sad, almost defeated. "So, you don't have any idea who you're going to marry, then?" she asked timidly.

_That's it! Just come out and say it, Aang, _he said, gathering his courage. _Don't mess this up!_

"Well, actually, I'm pretty sure I know who I'd like to marry," he said, hoping he was coming across as suave and not nervous, or worse, pompous. Katara didn't really give him a signal either way, which was a bad sign. He had to work quickly to repair the damage.

"Yeah?" she spat. "Who?"

"I think you know her," Aang teased. "She's a powerful Bender, and a great teacher. She's smart, and funny, and she's got a huge independent streak. She certainly doesn't need me to protect her, at least."

"So who, Toph?" she asked.

Aang had a short vision of married life with Toph Bei Fong, his blind Earthbending teacher. They were walking down the beach and she punched him in the arm. He was sleeping in and Toph woke him up by shaking the bed. He was coming back from traveling and she started yelling about him never being home. He violently shook his head from the mere thought of being married to Toph, and then lost his sense of composure.

"No, Katara, of course not Toph!" he shouted. "I'm talking about you!"

_Oh no, _he thought in horror, _I just said I'd like to marry her! What were you thinking? Stupid, stupid, STUPID!_

"You want to marry me?" she asked calmly, not angry, but a little nervous.

"Well, not right now of course," he qualified. "I mean, I'm twelve, but..."

"But you do want to marry me, don't you?" she interrupted.

Aang couldn't tell if she was acting positively or negatively to this revelation, and once again tried to find the most diplomatic way of expressing his feelings. "Well, I mean, I haven't given it a whole lot of thought, really, but I can't see myself being with anyone else but you," he explained.

"So, what do you mean then?" she inquired. "Am I just the only girl you really know, so you think we should be married or whatever?"

"No, no! It's not like that at all, Katara," Aang quickly corrected, "What I meant was, um..."

"Spit it out!" she shrieked, making Aang wish he had stayed with the badgerfrogs.

"Hey, Katara, lighten up!" he begged. "You're kind of putting me on the spot here, I don't really know what to say, and I'm a bit nervous, and..."

"A bit nervous?" she mimicked, clearly not impressed.

Aang clawed at his hands, growing more and more frustrated. "Well, okay, REALLY nervous, but I mean..."

"You weren't very nervous when you planted your lips on me on the submarine!" she shouted. With her fists balled up, her eyes narrowed and her lips pursed, Katara was now very frightening.

"That's different..." Aang whispered, now a little embarrassed that he had kissed her in the first place.

"How is it different?" she demanded.

"I thought I was never going to see you again, Katara!" Aang finally yelled back, now slightly angry at Katara for being so difficult when he was trying to express his feelings. "I love you, I gave up mastering the Avatar State and all its power because I can't detach myself from you, and I wasn't about to go off and fight the Fire Lord without letting you know how I feel about you!"

Katara's expression softened, and she held her arms close to her chest. Aang took a deep breath, and silently cursed himself for losing his temper. _Great Aang, you finally say how much you love her and you are yelling at her like a crazy person. Very smooth._

* * *

Katara couldn't look Aang in the eyes. Not now, not after what he said. She was too lost in her own thoughts. _Wow, he's serious, _she told herself. _This isn't some juvenile, innocent little boy crush. He really, really loves me. _Katara couldn't decide how to feel about it; part of her felt really warm and happy, and was telling her that she should go for it. Another part said that Aang was just a kid, she was like a mother or a big sister to him, she couldn't fall in love with him! And a really irritating part was scolding her for her own girlish crush; she knew she cared about Aang deeply, but those dreams about kissing him were definitely a childish fantasy, not a longing for a powerful relationship. _No different from Jet!_ she heard the voice say. _Gee, thanks, now I feel just great!_

But the scariest thought was the incredible sense of responsibility she felt. The Avatar, the most powerful being in the world, Master of All Elements, the one who was supposed to maintain the delicate balance of the world, loved her and wanted to marry her someday. This was a bit more than a royal marriage; marrying him would make her arguably the most important woman in the world. Not to mention the fact that there would always be evil people trying to use her to get to him. Or worse, what if he was killed trying to do his job? Katara could barely stand the thought of Aang dying as it was; how much worse would it be if he was her husband?

"I'm sorry I yelled at you, Katara," Aang sighed. Katara finally snapped out of her world, brought back to the real world by the gentle voice of the boy who had just confessed his deep love for her.

Katara now felt guilty. "Oh, don't be, Aang." Her motherly instincts took over and she hugged Aang. "I was being pushy and mean, and not being very considerate. I'm sorry!" she apologized and then looked at Aang, who was staring at her, perplexed. Katara was now second guessing herself about the hug; what if he took it as something more than just a friendly gesture of comfort? She was feeling quite confused herself, and she didn't need to be confusing Aang.

"So, um, now that I've basically proposed to you, how do you feel about me?" Aang questioned shyly.

_Great Katara, now you can't say anything about him putting you on the spot because you did the same thing! _She grabbed handfuls of her hair and groaned. "That's kind of complicated, Aang!" she answered.

"I don't understand," he said.

"Neither do I!" she retorted. "There's just...I don't know, Aang! I mean, it's not like I haven't thought about you in a romantic way or anything; I spent most of the morning thinking about you kissing me again."

"You did?" he asked, both shocked and excited.

"Don't get carried away!" she commanded. "And, you're a great guy and everything. You're sweet and brave and smart and funny and cute and..."

"You think I'm cute?" Aang shouted, clearly losing control at this point.

Katara paused. "Yeah, what's wrong with that? You are cute."

The Avatar started casually shrugging his shoulders. "Well, I prefer 'most handsome Air Nomad in the world'..."

"But you're the only Air Nomad in the world!" she reminded him.

"So?" Aang now had a smug grin a mile wide on his face.

Katara simultaneously fought back the urges to slap him and kiss him. She settled for groaning and then continued, "Aang, I'm just saying that the idea of marrying you and spending the rest of my life with you is a lot for me to think about, and its a little more than I bargained for when I tried to get you alone today."

"Oh," Aang whimpered, sounding defeated. "I guess that makes sense..."

"Thanks for understanding, Aang," she said, and she sincerely meant it.

Aang smiled. "Well, you know, you don't have to make a decision to marry me yet. Can't you just be my girlfriend?"

Katara was caught off-guard and her cheeks were bright pink. "Um, well, I, uh," she stuttered, "I guess I didn't think about that. I guess there's no reason I couldn't be..."

"GREAT!" Aang emphatically interrupted her and softly pecked her cheek before running off into the hallway. He formed his air scooter and started to ride it up and down the halls, joyfully laughing the whole time.

Katara pressed her hand where Aang had kissed her. _But I didn't answer you, Aang._

The young Waterbender started to slowly walk away from the Hall of Statues; she realized that one way or another, her relationship with the boy she freed from the iceberg was never going to be the same.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: All characters, locations, etc. are the exclusive property of Bryan Konietzko and Mike DiMartino.**

**I know this follow-up chapter is a bit out the short side, but this was the only pairing at the Temple I really wanted to follow up on. Hope you guys enjoy this one anyway! **

**And yes, Toph repeating Meng's lines is an intentional joke, since it's Jessie Flower quoting Jessie Flower.**

* * *

Aang was soaring through the air, carelessly looping around on his glider. He felt lighter than air and allowed the currents to carry him. Momo had given up trying to keep up with him; his erratic movements, born out of pure, unbridled joy, were too much for the lemur. Part of the Avatar felt bad for his pet, but he couldn't help himself. He couldn't remember a better day than this one.

_Katara is my girlfriend! _he thought, and then started saying it over and over to himself like some kind of bizarre, infatuated chant. _Katara is my girlfriend! Katara is my girlfriend!_

Feeling that the overly complicated loops weren't doing justice to his feeling, Aang remembered Gyatso's trick that Roku had shown him. Aang removed his feet from their posts and flipped his metal staff down and underneath. He gracefully planted his feet on the staff, his years of training giving him the balance to air-surf. Now this was happiness!

Well, for a minute anyway. It wasn't long before a stiff thermal rose under the glider and tipped it over, causing Aang to fall. Luckily, Appa was paying attention and was able to provide a safe platform for him to land on. The Avatar landed comfortably in the saddle. "Thanks, buddy!" Aang yelled and Appa lowed his appreciation. Aang jumped up and caught his falling staff before landing back on Appa and then laid down in the saddle, resting his head on one of the pillows.

He closed his eyes and started to daydream. First it was the kiss on the cheek at the Hall of Statues. Then it was the taste of her lips at the invasion. Then it was the brief, fleeting touch in the caved-in tunnels. If it weren't for those stupid crystals, they might have ending up kissing a little longer. And now Aang was imagining himself with Katara, alone on some far away island. They were rolling in the grass together, laughing, and then she was kissing him playfully, full on the mouth. He pictured his hands running through her beautiful hair, and then heading down her back...

This pleasant fantasy was violently broken up as Appa decided to land with a thunderous crash on a balcony. The Bison rolled over to his side and yawned as the pillow and blanket fell on top of Aang. He laughed it off and drove himself into the earth, mimicking his Earthbending teacher by waving his arms and legs to create a winged silhouette. Aang let out a contented sigh.

"What are you so happy about, Twinkletoes?"

Aang jumped to his feet at Toph Bei Fong's voice. "Huh? Happy? What?" Aang droned. "Why would I be happy?"

"You're always happy," Toph corrected dryly.

"Uh...then why do you care that I'm happy?" Aang countered.

"You just seem a little happier than usual," she explained. "I was just wondering what's up."

Aang chuckled weakly and and twiddled his fingers. _I can't tell her what I was thinking about... _"Um, I just had more fun gliding today than normal!" _Well hey, that's partially true. _"The weather is perfect for doing great loops and..."

"Are you really going to try to lie to me?" Toph mocked. "I mean, you could at least put some effort into it."

"I wasn't lying!" he shouted, angry and embarrassed.

Toph shook her head, not in disapproval, but in pity. "Yes you are!" she sang out teasingly. "I don't even need to feel the vibrations; your voice is giving everything away."

Aang let out an exasperated sigh. "Well, okay the weather _is_ great for gliding but that's not the reason I'm in such a good mood," he admitted.

"Why don't you tell me what is then?" Toph pressed. "Is it something embarrassing?" She was now scrunched down with her fists balled up, clearly excited. Aang felt a bit annoyed that she found the thought of him being embarrassed something to look forward to.

"Well, a little bit," he began.

"Oh just tell me already, Baldie!" she shouted out.

"Okay!" he yelled back. "Katara is my girlfriend now!"

There was a moment of silence as Aang looked at Toph, who was no longer excited, but standing still and looking like she was staring off into space. Obviously, she wasn't, but that's what it looked like. _What does she think of this? _Aang wondered.

"Why would you be embarrassed about that? she asked.

"Huh?" Aang gawked.

Toph crossed her arms and lowered her head. "I know you like Katara, and I've known that she likes you. Frankly, I can't believe it's taken you two so long to admit it to yourselves," she expounded.

"I've always known I liked Katara! I've never been in denial about it!" he insisted.

"Well, okay, but Sweetness has problems dealing with her feelings," Toph amended. "She always makes everything so complicated. She overthinks things instead of going on instinct."

"So, you're okay with us liking each other?" Aang implored.

Toph laughed. "Well, not if you're going to be embarrassed about it!" she answered. "I mean, if I had a boyfriend I'd want him to let everyone know. What kind of boyfriend is he if he's too scared to admit it?" she reasoned.

"I guess you're right," Aang conceded. "I shouldn't feel worried about Katara being my girlfriend! I love her!" he exclaimed. "But..."

"But what?" Toph demanded.

"I don't know," Aang extrapolated. "I guess, I just thought you guys wouldn't be happy for us, or that you'd make fun of us, or..."

"Oh I am going to make fun of you, Loverboy," Toph interrupted. "You can count on that!"

"You know what I mean!" Aang groaned. "And I don't know how Sokka's going to feel about me dating his sister."

"Hmm," Toph hummed. "Well, it is a little awkward, but as long as you two don't kiss each other every two seconds I think he'd be okay."

_Shoot, there goes my plans! _Aang thought to himself.

"Oh, and if you two could refrain from doing that within feeling distance of my feet, I'd appreciate it," Toph added.

"What?" Aang said, dejected. "What's your problem with us kissing?"

"Well, no offense, Airhead, but I don't want to think about you two swapping spit all the time. It was bad enough when you were getting down at the secret dance party," Toph gagged, making Aang blush. "I thought I was going to hurl!"

Aang was a little confused. "I don't understand the big deal, Toph. Isn't there some boy you like?" he asked.

Toph let out a breath, shocked, as if Aang had mentioned some deep, dark secret that she didn't want to be made public.

"W-what? N-no," she stuttered. "Of course not. Boys are gross! Eww!" she ranted, entirely unconvincing.

"I can tell you're lying!" Aang reveled in the chance to turn this phrase against her. He then gasped as he had to move out of the way of a flying rock.

"Okay, so, there's a boy I like!" Toph growled. "But he doesn't even realize I exist! And he's too old for me, and everyone would make fun of me, and it's just not worth it! So I'm just going to pretend I don't even like him and wait for the feelings to go away."

She started to run off, but Aang caught up to her and pressed his hand to her shoulder. Toph stopped in her tracks and then raised up a rock bench. She set down and hung her head, and Aang followed suit, laying his arm across her shoulers to comfort her. Small tears fell from the Earthbender's face, surprising Aang. The only time he'd seen her cry was when her parents decided to put more security around her to limit her freedom. Toph wasn't one to let her guard down emotionally, and Aang wasn't quite sure how to deal with this.

"You okay, Toph?" he asked.

She wiped the tears off with her wristband. "Yeah, I'm okay," she answered. "It's just hard when you like someone, but they don't feel that way about you."

Aang couldn't help but laugh.

Toph punched him in the ribs. "This isn't a joke, Airhead!" she scolded.

"I know, I know," Aang said, still giggling quietly. "It's funny because another girl told me that before. Like, those exact words too! It's like deja vu! That's why I laughed."

"Oh," Toph said before laughing herself. "That is pretty funny. I'm sorry I punched you."

Aang chuckled. "Don't worry, I've gotten used to it."

"So, Aang," Toph implored. "What did you tell her?"

"I told her that she shouldn't worry; she's going to meet a great guy that's totally gonna fall for her," Aang recited.

"Do you think I'll meet a great guy too?" Toph asked, almost pitifully.

"Of course!" Aang confirmed. "You're a riot, Toph. If I didn't like Katara so much I'd probably fall for you, too."

Toph and Aang turned to face each other for a second. Then they turned around and stuck out their tongues at the thought of being a couple. They both started cackling afterward, clearly glad that they weren't in love, and not minding it one bit.

"Thanks, Aang. You're a good friend," Toph complimented.

"No problem!" Aang assured her. "It's about time I taught you something. Self-confidence is something we Airbenders excel at!"

"Yeah, because I'm a nervous wreck who never believes in herself!" Toph let out in the most sarcastic tone humanly possible.

"Good point," Aang agreed. "Thanks for not having a problem with me and Katara."

"Pssh, like I care about your love life," Toph waved her hand in a deflective way. "If you want to get all mushy-gushy with the Sugar Queen, be my guest! Just don't do it too much, or I'll have to metalbend some cages," she warned.

"Deal."


	3. Chapter 3

**Okay, so I originally planned this to have an Aang-Zuko conversation as well, but I started writing this and I thought it turned out pretty well. Enjoy and review!**

**Edit: Been doing some clean-up to make this go a little clearer, thanks to some good suggestions from the reviewers. Your constructive criticism is much appreciated!**

* * *

Katara never thought she would be so utterly conflicted about seeing her father. She was elated that Sokka and Zuko had busted him out of prison. But as the group sat around the campfire and Aang kept giving her flirtatious glances, she found it harder and harder to listen to Sokka's telling of the story. Her dad held her close to his side the whole time, but Katara felt really uncomfortable. Because now that her dad was here, she was going to have to tell him. She was horrible at keeping secrets. And she didn't want to keep secrets from her father anyway.

She watched as Sokka sat down next to Suki. Suki climbed onto his lap and they shared a brief kiss. At this she looked at her Dad. He was smiling approvingly. _I bet he won't be smiling if he sees Aang kissing me,_ she said. On one hand she felt repulsed by this thought. Sokka was older, but she was more mature! She should be able to have a boyfriend if she wanted. But she still remembered how sheepish she had felt at the invasion, when her father's voice pulled her out of a stupor cause by the Avatar's sudden display of affection. The truth was, she wanted her father to accept and support her in this. But would he?

"Ugh, can you two get a room or something?" Toph yelled out, clearly annoyed at Sokka and Suki's lips repeatedly pressing against each other.

"I'd really rather they not, to be honest," said her dad. _Well, at least he won't let Sokka do _anything _he wants yet._

Suki was blushing and apologetically said, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to embarrass anybody."

"Why are you apologizing for kissing me?" Sokka screamed indignantly.

"I wasn't, I just don't want people to feel uncomfortable," she retorted.

"You're not bothering me!" called out Chit Sang. The group collectively stared down the Firebender, who wasn't the most welcome addition to the team, anyway. He went back to eating his rice quietly.

"Well, who cares if they are uncomfortable," Sokka reasoned. "After all, they're just jealous because I have the most beautiful girlfriend in the world."

"Sokka..." Suki whispered, and instantly cupped her hand over her cheeks to hide the rising crimson.

"That's it!" Toph interjected, "I'm going to bed, far away from Captain Boomerang and his fangirl's make out sessions. Good night." She stormed off and went into the temple, where her feet couldn't see Suki favoring Sokka with a peck on the cheek.

Katara's father was laughing. "You'd think I actually stayed at home and raised you with lines like that, son."

She couldn't stand to watch any more of her brother enjoying his romance while she sat around feeling guilty for hers. "Excuse me, I'm going to go off for a bit," she interjected and freed herself from her father's grip. Katara could feel all eyes on her as she walked away from the party. She turned around and zoned in on two sets. Her father's were confused, and Aang's were a little angry. Both sets of eyes were disappointed that she was leaving. She turned her head away and looked straight ahead, vowing not to look back.

Katara walked across a bridge to one of many balconies in the Western Air Temple. She noticed that one of the rails had a section missing and sat down, letting her feet hang over. She let out a sigh and stared into the misty canyon. It was all too easy for her mind to wander under the hypnotic affect of the seemingly never-ending darkness. Unfortunately, the only thing her mind wandered to lately were Aang's kisses. Those three kisses, the only ones they had shared. Two days ago, the first two had inspired fantasy in her mind. Now, they just made life confusing. Her eyes still glowed thinking about them, but then she'd almost close them in her shame.

She wasn't ashamed of kissing him. She was ashamed that even though she had kissed him, she didn't know what her feelings about him _were_. exactly. And because of that, she didn't feel worthy of kissing him. _I wish I hadn't kissed him at all!_ she thought, almost desperately. _No, you don't; _a voice inside her called her bluff. She didn't regret those kisses. They were special, real, and she wouldn't take them back. The problem was, she didn't know what she would do the next time Aang tried to kiss her.

"Is something bothering you Katara?" her father's voice called out to her, saving her from the kissing debate, and bringing the whole relationship back into question.

"Yeah, kind of," she admitted quietly. Her father set down next to her, but did not touch her, not even a hand on her shoulder.

Hakoda was reassuring but respectful as he asked, "Do you want to talk about it?"

"I don't know, Dad," she breathed. "I mean, I kind of do, but I'd just feel...awkward...talking about it with you."

"I see," he said sourly. "I know I haven't been the best father to you. I guess it makes sense that you wouldn't feel comfortable talking to me."

Katara was now heartbroken. "No, Dad, that's not what I meant," she explained. "Honestly, the fact that you are my Dad is the reason I feel weird. I'm not angry with you anymore. This is, just, well, the sort of thing I wish I could talk to Mom about."

Katara could see the faintest hint of a tear escaping from her father's eyes. "I wish Kya was still here to talk to about things, but I'm gonna try my best to be here for you anyway," he promised.

"Thanks, Dad!" Katara smiled and hugged her father. But now, she had to face the reality that she had to talk to her dad about Aang; there was no use putting it off any longer.

"So, Dad," she began. "Um...how do you feel about...me and boys?"

For a second, Katara could see her father's eyes narrow and his lips pursing; the protective side that wanted to defend "Daddy's Little Girl" clearly wasn't ready for boys to be part of her life. But that faded away to something resembling detached sympathy. "Katara, you are fourteen, almost fifteen years old," he pointed out. "It's normal for girls your age to start liking boys. And I'm not going to try to stop you or control your dating life; I don't pretend I can anyway, so I'm not going to try. I just want you to be happy."

Katara was shocked, but she was tentative to feel the elation that was swelling in her. "So, you don't care about me and boys?" she asked.

"Oh, I care," he assured her. "If any boy breaks your heart, I'll break his legs."

Katara laughed to herself. _I don't think Aang's going to break my heart. _That realization gave Katara a warm feeling, and coupled with the fact that her father seemed to have her back with having a boyfriend, that warmth made her feel very safe. She leaned into her father's chest, and he ruffled her hair. _Finally, a real father-daughter moment, _she thought, a smile of contentment coming across her face.

"So, I'm assuming there's a specific boy you have in mind?" Hakoda guessed.

"Yeah, I suppose there is," she answered.

"You gonna tell me?" he asked jokingly.

Katara chuckled. "Guess," she teased.

"Hmm, okay. Is he handsome?"

"Yes."

"Brave?"

"Mmhmm."

"Is he a bender?"

"Right again!" she exclaimed.

"Then I think you have a crush on Prince Zuko!" he concluded.

Katara's heart stopped for a second. _WHAT? _she thought. _ZUKO?_

"NO!" she answered emphatically. "No, of course not Zuko! Why on earth would I ever like him? I _hate _Zuko!"

"You hate him?" her father repeated, clearly startled at her violent reaction.

Katara was now standing up, shouting and extending her arms for emphasis. "Of course I hate him! After everything he's done to me? Everything he's done to Aang? He's a terrible human being and I hate having him in the group!"

Hakoda was now holding his knees to his chest. "Well, I don't know everything he's done to you, but he's a large part of the reason I'm not in prison anymore," Hakoda pointed out. "I owe him my freedom."

"Well, one good deed isn't enough to make up for all he's done to us!" she finished defiantly.

"Okay, so you don't like him, I get it!" Her father was now waving his hands to brush the subject aside. "Bad guess, bad guess!"

Katara scowled at her father, but let the subject drop and sat down. She felt a twinge of guilt being mad at Zuko. He _did _help rescue her dad, and Sokka wouldn't have made it back home without his help either, for that matter. Maybe he really had changed. But that didn't mean she had to forget or forgive the things he'd done. And she certainly didn't owe him any affection.

"I'm, uh, not going to risk a second guess," her father stammered, obviously trying to lighten the mood a bit. "Can you just tell me this time?"

Katara didn't feel as secure as before, and she found it difficult to speak. She closed her eyes, pictured her "boyfriend'" smiling at her, and forced out the words.

"It's Aang," she confessed.

There was a moment of silence. Katara was looking away from her father, but he wasn't saying anything. No angry words, no congratulations, no jokes...just silence. It was very disconcerting, and Katara forced her neck to turn around and face her dad just to end the suspense. Hakoda had a blank stare; Katara read it as shock. Perhaps the news that The Avatar was her love interest was a little too overwhelming for him, but Katara felt insulted. She didn't care if he approved or not, she wanted him to say _something._

"Dad, are you okay?" she queried.

"Katara, you..." he stopped short, apparently having as difficult a time speaking as she was. "You have a crush on...The Avatar?"

_If I do, it's the weirdest crush ever, _she thought. "Well, actually it's more the other way around," she amended.

"Aang likes you?"

"I don't think 'like' does it justice," she corrected. "He's crazy over me!"

"And how do you feel about him?"

_Shoot! Why did he have to ask that? _Katara was now forced to acknowledge her feelings so she could answer her dad. But the problem was she didn't know what her feelings were, and she couldn't give a straight answer. Things were so much simpler when Aang was just her best friend.

"Well, I care about him a lot," she settled. "I guess you'd even say I love him. But I'm not sure if I love him the way he seems to love me. He asked if I would be his girlfriend..."

She saw her father wince at that word. He clearly wasn't entirely comfortable with her being in a serious relationship, but he was trying his hardest to hide it for her. Katara's love and respect for her dad was growing rapidly. The weird thing is that she realized that _she _wasn't entirely comfortable with her being in a serious relationship either.

"I never gave him a straight answer, but he pretty much took that as a yes. He kissed me on the cheek and went riding away on that air scooter of his," she said mockingly. Aang's sudden departure still annoyed her.

She noticed Hakoda's fist clenching. "He kissed you," he said. It wasn't a question.

"Yes," Katara lamented telling him that detail, but now that he knew it was best to come clean. "I suppose I should also tell you we've kissed on the lips. Twice."

Her father inhaled and exhaled slowly, but was keeping his cool very well.

"I'm sorry Dad. We haven't done anything more serious than that though," she assured him. "And honestly, I don't think I'm ready or willing to do anything more serious than that. He's still kind of a goofy kid. And I'm pretty sure his crush on me is deeper than an appreciation for my good looks."

"That's good to know," he grumbled. "How deep is yours then?"

"Kind of shallow, to be honest," she spat out without thinking. "I mean, Aang's great and all. He's sweet and funny and brave and kind and honest and he cares about me. But I...kind of just like him because he's cute." _So much for _really _caring about him, Katara_, her conscience told her. _He's nothing but a cute pair of eyes and some strong muscles to you. Just like Jet," _it told her for the millionth time.

"That's not the sort of thing you can build a real relationship on, Katara," her father lectured.

"I know," she whined, feeling angry at herself for not being as sincere as Aang was.

"And remember, Aang's just a kid," he continued. "If you don't really see him as a boyfriend, it isn't right to let him think you do. It's not fair to you or to him. You're playing with his emotions. You can really hurt him if you aren't careful, Katara."

"I know, I know!" she yelled. "Please stop reminding me, I feel bad enough already! I just don't know what to do." A small line of tears was now falling down Katara's face. She wiped them away, and thankfully her father kept quiet.

"I'm not trying to incriminate you," her dad said. "I just don't want to see you or anyone you care about get hurt."

"I know," Katara repeated. She hated when that was all she could say: agreeing to someone who was telling her that she was wrong, which she already knew. "So, should I tell him I can't be his girlfriend?"

Hakoda sighed. "No, I don't think it's good to just rush into that. You need to have a serious talk, with Aang and with yourself. You need to figure out what your feelings are for him. If you think you two can be a loving couple, fantastic. I'll support you in any way I can. And I'd be honored to have the Avatar as my son-in-law..."

"Dad!" Katara moaned. She was blushing bright red.

"But if you don't think it will work out, you need to tell him and not lead him on," he instructed. "Explain why it won't work, make sure he understands. It will probably be painful, and it might even hurt your relationship as friends..."

"Oh Dad, please don't say that!" Katara felt awful now. "I wouldn't want anything to ruin our friendship. Aang means the world to me!"

"That's the risk you take when you let romance get involved," Hakoda said matter-of-factly. "But I wouldn't worry too much. If Aang cares about you as much as you care about him, he won't give up on you as a friend either."

"You think so?" she said, almost pleading.

Hakoda nodded. "You two have been through a lot together, and you love each other. However that love manifests itself, it's an unbreakable bond."

Katara pondered this. _Unbreakable. Yes, yes it is unbreakable! Nothing is going to separate me from Aang; he really does mean the world to me! It's not some stupid, shallow little crush after all. He's more than cute eyes and tattoos. It's nothing like Jet, at all. I really do care about him! _A smile broke across her face and she hugged her father, who was more than receptive.

"Thanks for talking to me, Dad!"

"I'm glad to be here for you, Katara," he answered. They held the embrace for a few minutes. Once again, Katara felt completely safe. Not only did she have her dad to protect her, but she and Aang were safe. She still wasn't entirely sure how she felt about Aang, but she knew that whatever those feelings were, they were _real_, and pure, and strong and lasting. She didn't feel guilty or shallow anymore. Everything was okay.

"Well, it's getting late, kiddo," Hakoda spoke up. "I think you should get some sleep. You have a lot to think about."

Katara let go of her dad, nodded in agreement, and realized how tired she was. She hadn't been sleeping well since Aang's kiss at the Hall of Statues; she was exhausted. She walked off towards the camp before waving at Hakoda.

"Night, Dad!" she called out. "I love you!"

"I love you too, Katara," he responded in kind. "Goodnight."


	4. Chapter 4

**Here it is, the last chapter in this story. It's not a very happy ending, but of course it isn't the REAL ending. This is basically my canon-bridging, working what I wrote back into the canon. After this discussion, they go to bed, and the events of "The Southern Raiders" take place, which effectively keeps these two from dealing with their romantic issues for a while. All other events in the series take place as normal. It's not the end of the road, just a stumbling block.**

**I might get back to these two at a later date, but I want to work on some other characters for a while. Please review!**

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_You got yourself into this mess, Katara. Now act like a grown woman and get yourself out of it, and damn the consequences! _The Waterbender's conscience had been nagging her without pause ever since the "incident" in the Hall of Statues. She knew what she had to do, and really it wasn't that difficult. Besides, it wasn't like he was going to hate her forever over this. Not him. He was too gentle, too wise, too kind, too loving.

_So why is this so terrifying? _Katara asked.

She looked at her father, Hakoda. They had talked a fortnight ago, and he had called her attention to what she was doing wrong. Now he looked at her with prodding eyes, calling her to action. So she looked at the boy this was all about. Twelve, almost thirteen years old. Bald, with a large blue arrow tattooed on his forehead and down his back, a sign of his Airbending mastery. He was laughing at a joke that her brother, Sokka told. Completely happy, as always. At peace.

_And I'm about to shatter his world! _Katara cried inwardly at the thought.

But there was no use putting it off. Indeed, if she didn't act now, she was only risking more potential heartache and anger. That wasn't a risk she was willing to take. Everything was bad enough already. She would act now, or else stay silent and try to pretend that there was no conflict, for his sake. It wouldn't be so bad, as long as he was happy.

_You know that isn't really an option,_ the accursed voice scolded her. _You couldn't live like that._

_I could for him, _she protested against her better judgment.

_No you couldn't._

_I know._

Katara closed her eyes, summoned the last bit of her nerve, stood up, walked over to the Avatar, placed her hand on his shoulder, and leaned to his ear, whispering so that only he could hear.

"Aang, we need to talk."

He turned to look at her, and Katara saw his face and wanted to simultaneously bask in it and hide from it. Becoming less childlike every day, Aang was gradually moving from "cute" to "handsome", and that just made her more aware that her affection for him was no longer motherly. His eyes intoxicated her, and his smile melted her heart. The last bit of nerve was gone. Were it not for her faint awareness that other people were watching, she would be kissing him right now.

But then she thought of her father, watching and expecting her to sort out her problems. And that thought gave her the strength to look away from Aang's face and towards Sokka.

"Okay, then, say something," the sweetest voice answered her call.

"Not here. Alone." The words made her tense up. She had wanted privacy to solve her problems, and now part of her was begging for privacy so she could complicate her problems. And if Aang's mind was going the same places her's was (and it probably was), this was going to be even more difficult.

"Oh, alright," Aang nodded, and cheerfully bent the air around him to lift him so that he was no standing. Katara stood up, and looked at the group. She noticed that Toph was smirking, and felt foolish for not realizing that Toph's keen sense of hearing probably allowed her access to that conversation. If nothing else, she would certainly be aware of Katara's heart skipping several beats.

Once again, her eyes met her father's steely expression. He gave her a significant nod, and Katara was awakened from her stupor long enough to remember what she was supposed to do.

"I'm going to borrow the Avatar for a minute," she said in an attempted casual voice, but it sounded every bit as forced as it really was. "Don't worry about us, we'll be back shortly."

Before anyone could ask questions, she grabbed Aang's wrist and pulled him away from the campfire, moving at a brisk walk that was threatening to break into a run, but Aang's body weight prevented that. Finally, when she was satisfied with the distance between them and the rest of the group, Katara let go of Aang's hand and stood still. She closed her eyes and tried to catch her breath and to steady her resolve. When she opened them, it was to the most horrible sight. She had been so desperate to escape the crowd that she hadn't been paying attention to where they were going. And it was the worse possible place.

They were back in the Hall of Statues, the scene of her crime of passion.

"Wow, you must have really wanted to talk to me," Aang joked.

_You have no idea how much I _don't _want to talk to you about this, _she thought.

A rush of sensation came over her lips. Warm wetness had taken the place of dry coolness.

Aang was kissing her, full on the mouth, a kiss just as sudden as the one at the Invasion. The same feelings were produced; Katara involuntarily gave into the pleasure, only to have it be replaced with confusion. This time, confusion gave way to a mix of sadness, and a little bit of anger. It was this sort of impulsive behavior that had caused Katara such discomfort in the first place. And here he was doing it again.

Fortunately, it seemed to be the wake up call she needed. The reminder of her frustration put the romantic thoughts clear out of her head. She separated from Aang and scowled, a little meaner than she meant to. "What do you think you are doing?" she demanded.

Aang didn't seem to be catching on to her annoyance. "I think they call it kissing, Katara."

"Smart-aleck, I know WHAT you are doing, I just want to know why you think you can just up and do it without warning me!" Katara vented, now fully in control of her emotions.

Aang showed a moment's hesitation before putting his air of confidence back on. "Isn't that what boyfriends do?" he asked as if it were obvious and she shouldn't be bothered by it. "I am your boyfriend, remember?"

_This boy really needs to learn to stop assuming things._

"That's actually what we need to talk about, Aang," Katara said gently.

Aang was grinning from ear to ear. "Great, I'd love to talk about that!"

"I said we _need _to talk about it, not that I _want _to talk about it," Katara corrected somberly.

"Huh?" Aang's self-assurance gave way to a look of misunderstanding. "What do you mean, Katara?"

"I'm not really sure how I feel about you being my boyfriend, Aang," she answered, dancing around the inevitable truth. She told herself that she was trying to ease him into the subject so he wouldn't be so shocked, but the truth was she lacked the strength to just call it off like she should.

He laughed weakly. "Well, me either. These feelings are new. And exciting." Aang cast her a glance that showed exactly what he meant by "exciting". "They are also a little bit scary, but I like them."

"No, you don't understand," Katara whimpered, balling her fists and turning away from him.

Aang came up to her and placed one arm across her should and his other hand on her wrist in an effort to comfort her. "Then please, help me understand."

_Just force it out, it will be easier that way. _"I don't think it's a good idea for us to be together like this!" she shouted. "I just have a bad feeling about it."

Katara turned to face Aang, and just as she feared, he appeared to be on the verge of tears. She felt wretched for being so blunt, but for all of his wisdom, subtle conversation was never his strong point. _You had to, _she repeated to herself over and over, though it did nothing to assuage her guilt.

"Are you...breaking up with me?" he stammered.

She hissed in reply, not possessing the will to speak any louder. "Technically no, because I never said you were my boyfriend to begin with."

"What?" Aang gasped in angry shock. "But, I, yesterday, we..."

"I said I _could _be your girlfriend," she corrected. "I never said I _was_. You just kissed me and ran off." Katara was able to tap into her maternal instincts enough to make this sound like scolding, and Aang's look of realization at his rash behavior showed that she was getting her message across.

"I did..." his voice trailed off, "Katara, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that!" he was now shouting at her, sounding desperate. "Please forgive me, I'm so stupid sometimes!"

"I forgive you Aang," she conceded, and she meant it. "I can never stay angry at you."

"So...why...why do you not want to be together?" he questioned. "If I'm doing something wrong, tell me and I'll fix it, I promise!" His sincerity was making this all the more difficult for her to follow through on. Only the knowledge that it was her issues, not his, that were getting in the way kept her from embracing him and moving on like the conversation never happened.

"I know you would," Katara agreed. "You always do what's best for me. For us."

Aang was able to give her a more relaxed smile, though it was still tentative.

"That's what I'm asking you to do for me, Aang," she continued, hating herself for doing so. "This is just overwhelming for me. It's happening so fast, and I do have feelings for you, but they are confusing, and I don't understand them, and it just makes me think that I'm not ready for a boyfriend yet."

Aang was no longer smiling. He was only staring at her with a detached intensity, an eerie contradiction.

"Or, maybe the real issue is that I'm not ready to be a girlfriend," she amended, hoping that Aang would realize that she was the problem, not him.

The Avatar looked at him, and opened his mouth to speak, but closed it before saying anything. He closed his eyes, and seemed to be carefully considering his next words. The silence was killing her, but she dared not rush him. She was being utterly cruel as it was; she could not bring herself to do more than was absolutely necessary.

Finally, he spoke. "What do you mean, you aren't ready?" he interrogated.

This she could answer with a degree of certainty. "Aang, being the kind of partner I want to be requires maturity and time and effort that I just can't give right now, to anyone," she explained. "I can't explain it, but there's so many things going on with me, and if I tried to be your girlfriend right now, I couldn't do it with all of my heart. And I just can't do that to you. You deserve better."

"But there's nothing better than you!" Aang gave an assuring shout. Katara blushed at the sentiment, though she knew Aang was blinded by love and couldn't see how inadequate she was.

"That's sweet Aang, but I don't know if I can believe it," she answered. "At any rate, you deserve the best of me, and I can't give that yet. I'm sorry."

Aang looked like he was about to protest more, but stopped himself.

"Aang, I also need you to understand that I'm not saying 'No,' I'm saying 'Not now', do you understand?"

"Not really," he replied faintly.

"I just need time to sort this all out. I need time to think, to figure out what I want, to take care of other things," she extrapolated. "I do have feelings for you, but they are complicated. And I know this is stupid, but I'm not sure if I like you that way, and if I don't, I can't act like it forever and eventually I'll hurt you."

"That's not stupid," Aang quietly assured her. "I'm happy to know you don't want to hurt me."

"Aang, I feel so bad doing this to you," Katara finally admitted to him. "You seem so sure, and I'm just so lost, and I feel awful." Her eyes were starting to tear up, and she didn't care anymore. She needed to cry, and nothing, not even her pride was going to keep her from doing so. "Aang, can you hug me?"

"Of course," he answered, laughing at the fact that she bothered to ask. Katara rushed to him and they hugged. She sobbed silently on his shoulder, and Aang held her tightly. Surprised that the close contact did not make her uneasy or unsure, she allowed herself to fully accept the warmth of the embrace. This was the comfort and safety she had been needing. She was so unsure of herself, so confused, and she just wanted to hide in Aang's arms forever. But she couldn't.

"I'm really sorry, Aang," she apologized fiercely.

"Don't be," he said, surprising her. "I think I understand. Can I just ask something?"

"Of course."

"Does 'Not now' really mean, 'not now', or does it mean 'not ever'?" he asked, and Katara wanted to die rather than answer him. But she could hardly leave the question unanswered after letting him ask it.

"I don't really know," she admitted.

Aang sighed. "Well, I suppose I'll just have to take my chances, then." He squeezed her more tightly and then let go of her. "I'll be waiting when you're ready."

"But I might never be ready," she said, more frightened of the prospect than she thought she could be.

Aang cast her a dark look, hugged her, and left her alone without any further argument.

Alone.

Without him.

Katara collapsed against the wall, falling so that her hands rested on her knees, and her head rested on her hands. And she wept.


End file.
